Kendall Ronzano

ProjectMERIT

Kendall believes shelter “is a birthright, not a privilege.” She founded NerdGirlHomes to provide homes for those in need. A childhood lover of Legos and “engineer at heart,” Kendall’s life-long dream of building a house and desire to do something meaningful led her to build a 117-square-foot home. In order to avoid contractor red tape and the long wait for an approved building permit, Kendall decided to build her first house on wheels.

Merit College Advisors helped Kendall organize her busy school and sports commitments so she could find time to start her project. She created a website, bought building plans, organized a materials list, and set up fundraising to pay for the building materials. Kendall received donations from all over the world, which covered fifty-percent of the building costs. When she completes her house, she plans to donate it to a family-in-need. She has also recruited other kids from school to make more homes for the homeless. Kendall has been gathering notoriety from local newspapers for her good deeds and has told her inspiring story at a recent TEDx conference.